


Not A Perfect Life

by ginatoldmeso



Series: Steve Grant Rogers / Chris Evans ONE-SHOTS [5]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 1940s, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluffy Ending, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, M/M, Other, Pre-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 11:57:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16853581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginatoldmeso/pseuds/ginatoldmeso
Summary: Steve has to find the courage to ask the reader out and Bucky encourages him.





	Not A Perfect Life

The buzzing sound of joyful chatter merged with the familiar smell of coffee, as the frosted sunshine coming through the windows marked the arrival of winter. Steve sighed as Bucky kept listing reasons why they should go to Coney Island for the weekend (the main reason being to impress a certain lady whose heart Bucky was aiming to win). Steve knew his friend wasn’t gonna give up, so he yielded. “Fine, I’ll come if you shut up”, he snorted while the diner’s doorbell rang, announcing more customers.

Bucky smirked and said something in reply, but immediately realized that Steve wasn’t listening. Instead, his blue eyes were locked somewhere behind Bucky, and his mouth was slightly agape. Cocking an eyebrow, Bucky turned to see what got Steve’s attention and a wave of recognition washed over him. Two people had just entered the shop and sat at one of the empty tables. They were laughing about something, apparently unaware of Steve and Bucky’s gaze on them.

“You know, that Rogers boy hasn’t stop staring at you since we arrived”, informed you your friend with a lopsided grin, and you rolled your eyes, smiling at the waiter as he placed your order at the table. You weren’t ready to admit it - not even to yourself -  but Steve was the precise reason why you had felt the sudden need to enter that diner to grab a bite. You had caught a glimpse of him and Bucky entering the shop from across the street, so you had convinced your friend that it was the perfect time to grab a bite. You’ve liked Steve from the beginning, he was a sweet guy but he had a rebellious side that always attracted you. You’ve always hoped for him to ask you out, eventually, but he acted so strangely every time you two were alone you figured he just wasn’t interested.

As you tried not to think about it, Bucky was trying to reason with his best friend, who was, without doubt, the most stubborn person he had ever met. “Steve, you idiot, you can’t just stare at someone hoping that they’ll fall in love with you! Y/N likes you, I’m sure of it”

Steve shook his head. “Y/N doesn’t like me at all, Buck. I mean, look at me!”, he exclaimed gesturing at himself. He couldn’t imagine someone like Y/N liking him back. He looked like a child even though he was in his twenties, and he was so skinny that clothes were always too large for him. Not to mention how nervous he got any time he was with Y/N… he had made a fool of himself more than once.

They were neighbors, so they had known each other for a very long time, but the longest conversation they’d had lasted about 5 minutes, at Steve’s mother funeral. And he was so broken he had barely registered what Y/N was saying.

Bucky huffed in exasperation. “Just walk over at their table and say hi, then. It’s not like it’ll kill ya”, he pleaded. He was tired to see Steve and Y/N pining over each other, yet neither being brave enough to ask the other on a date. It was clear as day they were both smitten over each other.

Steve thought about it for a moment, glancing over at your table. Finally, he stood up. “All right, I’m going… how do I look?”, he asked, anxiously running a hand through his hair.

“You look perfect, Steve, just go!”, chuckled Bucky, giving him a pat on his shoulder and pushing him.

As you absent-mindedly sipped your coffee, you didn’t notice Steve walking towards you until your friend violently nudged you. You widened your eyes in surprise and abruptly got up - hitting your knee on the table’s leg doing so. “Steve!”. Your voice came out way more high pitched than usual, and you blushed, mentally cursing yourself for being so awkward.

“Y/N. It’s good to see you”, smiled Steve, nodding at your friend before looking at you once again. “How you’ve been?”, he asked. There was a hint of hesitation in his voice, for some reason, but you were too flustered to even care about it.

You shrugged. “It’s all good… What about you? Got into other dumb fights lately?”, you teased, knowing too well that Steve had never backed out from a fight, despite all the times he got his ass kicked. More than once you had offered to bandage him up after he had come home covered with bruises and cuts. But he wasn’t one to give up, no matter the odds. It was actually one of the things you liked about him.

“I got no idea what you’re talking about, sweetheart, you know I like the quiet life”, he said, huffing a laugh. It took him a moment to realize why you were staring at him in surprise, the hint of a smile on your lips. Damn Bucky and his stupid pet names! He had gotten so used to hearing Bucky calling his dates ‘doll’ and ‘darling’, it had just slipped out. The fact was, he had fantasized about calling you sweetheart, it had felt natural.

You saw the panic in Steve’s eyes and realized he was about to apologize, so you cut him off. “So, did you wanna ask me something, or…?”. You grinned brightly, hoping that he would understand. You didn’t want him to apologize. As a matter of fact, you were more than fine with him calling you sweetheart or any other pet name he had in mind. The moment that little word had left his soft lips, you had felt your heart flutter. And now all your stuttering brain could think about was how those lips would feel pressed against yours.

“I, uhm-”, started Steve, looking at his feet. This was it, his chance to ask you out. He would’ve invited you at his place and cook you dinner, then you two would’ve headed for the docks and watched the shining lights of New York City. And he would’ve kissed you goodnight on your doorstep. Steve sighed. It was all wrong. In his mind, when you two kissed, he had to bend over you and not the other way around. You two could’ve even gone dancing, and you wouldn’t have to worry about stepping on him. Nor he would’ve stumbled upon his words when telling you how beautiful you looked.

“No, I- I just saw you across the room and I wanted to say hi”, he lied. He tried to force a smile, but his mouth didn’t collaborate. With a brief nod, he rushed toward the door and left the diner, as Bucky ran after him. You stayed there, blinking in confusion and trying not to look as sad and disappointed as you were feeling.

*********

It had taken hours of Bucky’s scoldings and several self-delivered pep talks before Steve admitted how stupid he had been that afternoon and decided to finally ask you on a date. He was still unsure whether you were going to accept or not, but he couldn’t deny that the way you acted back at the diner made him hope for the best. After all, you had looked genuinely pleased to see him, and you hadn’t seemed to mind when he had called you sweetheart. Maybe you felt the same way he did, and if he was lucky enough he could’ve finally confessed that he had been head over heels for you over the past 10 years.

Steve walked slowly towards Y/N’s house, a thousand butterflies in his stomach and a single red rose in his hand (it wasn’t much, but it was the best he could afford without having to borrow money from Bucky). He felt both worried and excited, and it was honestly overwhelming. Only the chill Brooklyn air prevented his head from going numb.

He was almost there when he passed the local diner next to his apartment. The soft lights shone through the shop window, and without thinking, Steve threw a glance inside. He stopped dead in his tracks. Y/N was there, sitting on one of the bar stools and chatting with a man who Steve didn’t know.

It was like an invisible weight had landed on Steve’s chest and was now crashing his lungs. He couldn’t breathe. He should’ve gotten used to the sensation by then, given his asthma, but this was much worse. With one last look at Y/N, who was now laughing at something that the man had said, Steve threw the rose in the nearest garbage can and started running. He didn’t know where he was going, and neither did he want to stop and think.

“Steve!”. A sudden cry and a familiar voice reached him when he was less than a hundred feet away. He was tempted to ignore it, but when the voice called him again he stopped. He took a deep breath and turned, only to see Y/N running towards him, with a rose - his rose - in the hand and a subtle flush on the cheeks. “I saw you throwing this away. It’s a shame, it’s such a beautiful rose”. Since he clearly wasn’t going to say anything, Y/N smiled tenderly. “Was it for me?”. The question left Y/N’s lips in a small cloud of breath and met a brief silence.

Then Steve nodded. “Yeah… I meant to give it to you and, uhm, ya know-”.

Y/N beamed and finished the phrase for him. “You wanted to ask me out?”.

“Yes”, sighed Steve. “I was coming to your house when I saw- I saw you had other plans…”

“With John”, nodded Y/N, frowning slightly.  

“John”, repeated Steve with a hollow voice. So that was his name. Not that he could blame that man, of course. It was his fault, for being so scared of asking Y/N on a date before others realized how lucky they were to know such a formidable person.

Y/N chuckled, studying Steve’s pout and knowing exactly what he was thinking. “Yes, John.  _My cousin_ ”.

Steve’s head snapped so abruptly he had to massage his neck for a second. “Wai- cousin?! You mean…?”.

Y/N giggled in amusement and grabbed Steve’s hand. “ _I mean_ , I will gladly go on a date with you, Steve Rogers. After all, I think John can look after himself for a while”.

Steve didn’t even realize he was laughing until Y/N joined him. Not only the crushing way had lifted from his chest, but he felt invincible, as if he could do anything he wanted. And what he wanted, more than anything else in the world, was to finally kiss the love of his life. In a heartbeat, he had already pulled Y/N closer to his chest and their lips had met in a sweet yet passionate kiss. For the first time in his life, Steve was the luckiest man in the world. And what to him felt like the most incredible thing, was that Y/N loved every bit of Steve Rogers, even the parts that he hated, rather,  _especially_  the parts that he hated.

That night had been the first of a long series of dates, each one ending with the promise of a life together. Maybe not a perfect life, but a life where they had each other.


End file.
